Folder for sewing-machines.



.I. R. MOFFATT.

FOLDER FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26.1912- Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

m: NORRIS PETERS ca. PHBYD-LHNLL. WAsmNcmN. n. c.

J. R. MOFFATT.

FOLDER FOR SEWING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26 191 2.

1521 9,838. Patented Mar. 20, 1917-.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- m: NORM: Psrsns m, FNOTO-UTHOY, wAsnnvcmm n. c.

UNITED STATES rA'rnNr orr oa. I

JAMES R. MOFFATT, or CHICAGO, IL NoIs, ASSIGNOR TO UNION SPECIAL MACHINE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS.

FOLDER FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar,- 20, 1917,

Application filed February 26, 191 2. Serial No. 679,978.

To all whom it may concern:

Be 1t known that I, .IAiIns R. MorrA'rr, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folders for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying draw- 7 ing and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

The lnvention relates to new and useful improvements in folders for sewing mawhich is so arranged as to fold andplace the faclng strip on top of the fabric to which it.

is to be attached;

A further object of the invention is to provide means for holding the facing strip separated or raised from the body fabric until said facing strip and body fabric are led underneath the presser foot.

These and other objects will in part be obvious, and will in part be hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings which show by way of illustration one embodiment ofthe invention,-

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a folder embodying my improvements, and its relation to the stitching mechanism and presser foot of a sewing machine.

Fig.1 is a perspective view showing; a body fabric having a combined binding strip and facing strip attached thereto;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the folder detachedv from the machine;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view, showing the mannerof folding the fabric;

Fig. 4: is a sectional view transversely through the folder on the line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a plan'view showing a portion of the. presser foot, the'separating finger and the folder;

Fig. 6' is a. detail showing the latch for holding the separating finger in operative position; and I V V Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 7''7 of Fig. 5.

In carrying out the invention, I have pro-H a vided a folder which is attached to a supporting shank 1, and said shank is secured to the bed plate 2' of the machine by any I suitable means. Said folder consists of a body portion 3, and an outer casing i. The bodyportion and outer casing are. spaced from each other so as to form a guiding channel for the" strip tobe folded. Said body portion 3 is bent intermediate its side edges, as at 5, and the outer casing i is similarly bent, so that a strip passing through the guiding channel will be folded intermediate its sideedge's; Said bent portion ofthe folding members is so disposed that the strip is bent nearer oneof its edges than the other, so that as the strip passes through the guiding channel, the'upper face ofthe strip will be comparatively wide, and

maybe usedas a facing strip, while the lower face of the strip will be narrow, and will pass underneath the fabric and "together with'the facing strip form a binding strip. In other words,the folder is so proportioned that the strip which is ledtherefrom forms a combined binding and facing strip for a fabric' Theupper channelrfor' the facing strip is alsopreferably parallel with the lower channel, for the narrow edge of the strip, so that the strip as t is led to the folder passes into the same in'substantially two horizontal layers.

The body portion of the folder at the receiving end thereof extends beyond the outer casing, as shown at 6. A-spring finger 7pis adapted tobear on the stripand press the same against the extension 6, andithe'reby place a slight tension on the strip at the fold therein as it enters the folder. This finger is curved to conform to the body. casing. Said finger is formed with an opening inter mediate its ends, through which passes a post 8 and a spring 9 ,yieldingly holdsth'e finger against the strip of fabric.

The body portion 3 ofthe folder is proe vided with flanges 10, which extend back;

over the outercasing and' may be attached thereto. The fian'gebegin's at "apointintermediate the receiving end and the. delivery end, and is'so constructed as to gradually turn the raw edge of the strip back on to the outer face of the strip. The delivery end of the folder is cut at an angle, as clearly indicated at 11. The purpose of this angle at the delivery end of the folder is to allow the strip being folded to be inverted as it is led to the stitching mechanism. This type of folder is well known in the art, and further detailed description of the manner of guiding the strip through the folder and inverting the same is not thought necessary.

The folder is formed with a guiding finger 11 at the extreme outer delivery end thereof and with a guiding finger 12 at the end of the short side of the folder. This guiding finger 12 is formed of wire which is soldered to and in efiect becomes an integral part of the folder. When the strip is turned inside out or inverted, the edges are guided by these fingers. Inasmuch as the delivering end of the folder is cut at an incline, a pull of the strip by the feed of the machine across this inclined delivering end of the folder would tend to force the strip sidewise. These guiding fingers at the ends of the inclined faces prevent the lateral movement of the strip and guide the same properly to the stitching mechanism.

In order to guide the fold in the strip as it passes from the folder to the stitching mechanism, I have provided a guide 13, which is adjustably secured to said folder. This guide may be adjusted so as to engage the fold in the strip intermediate the side edges thereof. The guide 13 extends underneath the wide portion of the folder and substantially to the bend in the body portion, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The shank of the guide is slotted and screws 14 passing through the slots hold the guide so that it may be adjusted longitudinally of the folder. The shank of the guide extends beyond the side of the folder and a screw 14 passing through a slot in a laterally projecting arm 14: carried by the folder is fixed to the shank of the guide and serves as a means for clamping the guide in adjusted positions. This guide is also formed with a laterally extending ledge 15.

Where wide strips of fabric are folded to form a combined facing and binding strip, the fold between the edges of the strip where it is delivered from the folder is necessarily at some distance in front of the stitching mechanism. This guide 13 engages this folded part of the strip, directs the same to the stitching mechanism and prevents the unfolding of the strip after it leaves the folder until it passes beneath the stitching mechanism.

By the present construction, wherein the wide portion of the folder is on top and guides the facing strip to the upper side of the body fabric, the delivering end of the a shank 24, which folder extends over the body fabric, and will tend to maintain the fold in the lower face of the strip, notwithstanding that Saul fold leaves the folder at a point well in advance of the stitching mechanism. In other words, this overlapping part of the folder serves in a measure as a presser member to maintain the parts in the proper relation for stitching.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, I have shown a body fabric 16, to which is attached my combined facing strip 17 and binding strip 18. As shown in the drawings, the strips are connected to the body fabric by widely spaced lines of stitching. One of said lines of stitching 19 passes solely through the facing strip and body fabric, while the other lines of stitching 20 pass through the facing strip and the lower folded part of the binding strip, as well as the body fabric.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, I have indicated the relation of my folder to the presser foot 21 of the sewing machine. Said presser foot is of the ordinary construction, and is formed with an upturned forward end. The needles 22 are so disposed as to produce the lines of stitching above described. In order that the folder herein shown may be especially adapted for operating upon knit goods, it is essential to provide some means for preventing the widely folded part of the strip from frictional. contact with the body fabric. Otherwise the body fabric will be unduly stretched. In order to accomplish this separating of the strip from the body fabric, I have provided a separating finger 23. This finger 23 is carried by is pivoted at 25 to a plate 26 mounted on the presser foot. The shank extends along the side of the presser foot and the separating finger is located at right angles to the shank, so that when said fin ger is in normal position, it will be parallel with the front end of the presser foot.

Said finger has its forward end curved as at 27, so as not to be caught by the strip passing over the same. Said separating finger is located in a plane above the lower face of the presser foot, and the up er folded face of the binding strip and facing pass ing over said separating finger, and will, therefore, be held in contact with the body fabric until said body fabric and binding strip are practically in position to be clamped. or engaged by the feed of the sewing machine.

The forward edge of the separating finger is preferably bent upward in a similar manner to the forward end of the presser foot, so as to allow the body fabric to freely pass underneath the same. The shank support ing the separating finger, as above noted, is pivoted to the plate carried by the presser foot, and said shank may be swung about its pivot to bring the separating finger from in front of the presser foot to facilitate the insertion of the material beneath the foot. Said shank is provided witha thumb piece or handle 28, by which it may be readily swung to inoperative position or to operative position.

In order to hold the separating finger in operative position, I have provided a latch 29,- which is made of yielding material, and is rigidly secured to the presser foot. The outer end of the latch is formed with a slight projection. which engages a recess 30 in the shank to hold the same in normal position.

From the above description, it will be apparent that 1 have provided a folder which is especially adapted for folding a strip intermediate its edges, so that one face of the folded strip is considerably wider than the other, and said wide portion of the folded strip, when attached to a body fabric,

may serve as a facing, while the narrow portion of theflfolded strip, together with the facing strip forms a binding strip'for the edge of the fabric. The folder is so constructed as to fold the wide strip on to the upper face of the material, and" to hold the same in proper folded position until it reaches the stitching mechanism. The separating finger also holds this wide face of the strip away from the body material, so that said body material may be freely led to the stitching mechanism.

It will be obvious that minor changes in the details of construction may be made, without departing from the spirit of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A folder for sewing machines including means for folding the edges of the strip, means for folding the strip intermediate its edges with one face of the folded strip wider than the other, means for inverting the folded strip as it is led to the stitching mechanism, said folder being so constructed and disposed relative to' the stitching mechanism as to maintain the strip in folded condition until the same is led to the stitching mechanism, and a separating device located in advance of the folder for separating the upper folded portion of the strip from the body fabric.

2. A folder for sewing machines including spaced guiding walls forming upper and lower connected portions for folding a strip intermediate its edges, said upper portion of the folder being wider than the lower portion of" the folder whereby the upper face of the folded strip is, wider than the lower face thereof, said folder having its delivering end cut at an angle and so disposed that the strip may be inverted before it is led to the stitching mechanism, and a separating device located between the folder and the stitching mechanism for separating the upper folded portion of the strip from the body fabric.

3, A folder for sewing machines including a wide guiding means for guidin'gthe facing portion of the strip, and a narrow guiding means for guiding a narrow portion of said facing strip, said folder having means for inverting the strip, as itis delivered to the stitch forming mechanism, the wide guiding means of the folder being located above the narrow guiding means, whereby the narrow fold is maintained by the folder until said strip is delivered to the stitching mechanism, and a separating deviceindependent of the folder for holding the wide folded edge of the strip raised from the body fabric until said strip and body fabric pass beneath the presser foot of the machine. 7

4:. A folder for sewing machines including a wide guiding-means for guiding the facing portion of the strip, and a narrow guiding means for guiding a narrow portion of said facing strip, said folder having. means for inverting the strip as it is delivered to the stitch forming-mechanism, the wide guiding means of the folder being located above the narrow guiding means, whereby thenarrow fold is maintained by the folder until said strip is delivered to the stitching mechanism, a guide for engaging the fold between the edges of the strip for directing the same to the stitching mechanism, and a separating device independent of the folder and located between the folder and the stitching mechanism for holding the wide folded edge of the strip raised from the body fabric.

5. The combination of a presser foot, a folder located in front of the presser foot, said folder including means for folding a strip intermediate its edges and inverting the strip before it passes beneath the presser foot, and a separating finger carried by the presser foot and extending underneath the upper face of the folded strip as it passes from the folder for holding said face raised from the body fabric, said finger being free from the body fabric.

6. The combination of a presser foot, a folder located in front of the presser foot, said folder including means for folding a strip intermediate its edgesand inverting foot, a separating finger carried by the presser foot and extending underneath the upper face of the folded strip as it passes from the folder for holding said face raised from the body fabric, and means whereby said separating finger may be moved at one side of the presser foot.

7. The combination of a presser foot, a folder located in front of the presser foot 120 the striprbefore it passes beneath the presser and having its longitudinal axis extending substantially at right angles to the line of feed, said folder including guiding walls forming upper and lower connected portions for guiding and folding a strip intermediate its edges, the upper portion of the folder being wider than the lower portion thereof and extending over the body fabric and in front of the presser foot at its delivering end, and a separating finger carried by said presser foot and extending between the body fabric and the upper face of the folded strip.

8. A folder for sewing machines including means for folding the binding intermediate its edges and carrying the binding strip across the fabric to be bound and into contact with it, a device to guide a portion of the binding strip away from the fabric to be bound, whereby said fabric when bound is in its unstretched condition said device being located in advance of the presser foot of th sewing machine.

9. A folding device having a guiding recess for folding a strip of fabrlc intermediate its edges and having a recess for the passage of the material to be bound, a separating device in rear of the folding device to separate the binding strip from the fabric to be bound said device being located in advance of the presser foot of the sewing machine.

10. A folding device including means for folding a strip intermediate its edges with one face of the folded strip extending over the face of the fabric to be bound farther than the other, and a device engaging said strip after it is folded for separating the folded strip from the fabric to be bound, and means for supporting said device whereby it may be moved from operative position.

11. The combination of a presser foot and a folding device, said folding device including means for folding a strip intermediate its edges with one face of the folded strip extending over the fabric to be bound farther than the other, a separating finger located in front of the presser foot and extending beneath the face of the folded strip extending over the fabric for separating said face of the strip from the fabric being bound, and means for supporting said separating finger by said presser foot.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES R. MOFFATT. Witnesses:

C. MONEIL, A. B. CLOTHIER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

